Bergen

Eco-friendly travel guide to Bergen advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Bergen, Norway.

City view of Bergen

Air quality: 4 / 5

Exploring by foot: 4 / 5

Exploring by bicycle: 3.5 / 5

Public transportation: 3 / 5

Parks: 3 / 5

Outdoor activities: 4 / 5

Locals' English level: 3.5 / 5

Safety: 3.5 / 5

Accommodation: US$50 - $270

Budget per day: US$120 - $500

Responsible Travel

Bergen is one of the colorful cities in Norway that comes with different wooden houses, mountain views, and others. Many different things in the city are wonderful that attract tourists from different countries. Also, Bergen is known to be the second-largest city in Norway that is very well known for having Ulriken Mountain and Floen Mountain.

You will be mesmerized when visiting the popular historical Bryggen and witnessing the colorful houses. It is one of the major attractions for the tourists followed by some others. In your visit to this city, you can help the environment by keeping the city safe and clean. Here are some of the things that will help you in the process of keeping the city clean.

Try to use the local transportation service as much as you can to help the environment and to come closer to the local people. It will help you to understand the daily life of the locals.
Choose green hotels for your stay in the city to reduce pollution and waste. It is a great way to stay in the city and explore it while helping it to stay clean.
Along with international cuisines from different restaurants in the city, eat the local street food that will help the people and support them to provide more.
The city contains many green parks, visit them to have fresh air and get closer to nature.
On your trip to Bergen city, try to buy local goods and clothes from the shops and stalls. A large portion of the population is dependent on tourism, purchasing things from them will support them very much.

Air Quality and Pollution

The air quality of the city is very good and comes with a very low amount of pollution. You will be able to roam freely in the city as a traveler and enjoy all the different things. However, you can carry some of the necessary precautions like masks and medicines for your protection.

If you have different breathing problems like asthma, then you will need to consult a doctor to take help. They will help you to know what are the necessary things that you need to carry. If you are staying for some days in the city, then make sure to try to keep the city safe.

Respect the Culture

One of the major reasons for choosing this city is the colorful culture along with a lot of concerts, museums, festivals, galleries, and other attractions. You will get to see a lot of traditions that are completely different from other cities in Norway. Make sure to visit popular places in this city to get the best traveling experience.

You will get to know many stories about the history of the city that will help you to know a lot of things about the city. Make sure to take part in the different events to witness the culture from very close. The popular places in the city make it very easy to understand the culture very well.

Top 10 Places to Visit

Today Bergen is the best place in Norway where tourists from different parts of the world love to visit. The main reason behind this thing is that these top 10 places in the city make your trip more memorable.

Akvariet - Start your trip with this live aquarium and get to see some of the wonderful sea creatures. Never miss it because the opportunity of visiting here might not come again and again.
VilVite - After the aquarium, you can move to this beautiful science center. Here you would get some of the wonderful scientific experiments and know the significance behind them. Besides experiments, this center also offers you an amazing 3D show.
Fantoft Stave Church - Though this church is not so big, but here you can get to know about the full history of Norwegian culture. Get its fair knowledge, and it would be easy for you to share among your beloved persons.
The King Håkon's Hall - It is a famous residence of the famous king of Norway whose works are immortal even today also. Come here and know his importance towards the contribution of this city.
Rosenkrantztårnet - This palace was built in the 13th century and it also has some greater importance in today's world. Here you would get some ruins of the early ages and get the best information about them.
Floyen - This is the topmost mountain from where you can get to see the whole city. No one misses it because it is a view which they will never get to see anywhere else. Make a double tick of this place in your travel diaries and mark it as very important.
Damsgård Country Mansion - It is a mansion that was constructed in the year 1770 and is still popular in today's age. After visiting here, you would see some of the prominent personalities who had some great achievements in providing the freedom to the city.
West Norway Museum of Decorative Art - Do not go by its name because it is a center where you would get some popular paintings and arts. They are made by the famous artists of Norway, whose roles are important in some artistic works.
Vannkanten Waterworld - If you want to experience the finest water games, then this is the right place for you. Visit here and go for a water slide which you might not have expected or imagined earlier.
Skomakerdiket - This lake is wonderful, and here the water is in the purest form. In the beginning, you may find it boring, but later on, you will understand the relevance of this place. Just go for it and see how attractive and mind-blowing it is.

Vannkanten-Waterworld

Explore

Now to explore the city you have to visit the other places and discover them to the fullest. They are some famous city parks and museums which can give you a different level of fun.

City Parks

Store Lungegårdsvann - Without any doubt, we can say that this park is awesome where you will get a calm atmosphere. Bring your family with you and spend quality time in this beautiful place.
Byparken - If you want to know the actual meaning of greenery, then this park is the perfect destination for you. Here you would see some best plants and know about them in full detail.

Store Lungegårdsvann

National Parks

Folgefonna - This park is for all those people who love hiking and trekking activities. Come here during the daytime and feel the magical ambiance of this place. But if you miss it, then you would never get to know anything about it.
Hardangervidda - It is not so famous, but you will love this park and get a better amount of peace and relaxation. Try it out and see how you get rid of all the pains and depressions of your life.

Folgefonna

Beaches

Møhlenpris Badeplass - You can never imagine that the water of this beach is salty and pure. Go for a bath and see how fascinating and amazing is the experience.

Landmarks

Unfortunately, there are no famous landmarks in Bergen, but some museums can give you a better level of enjoyment.

Museums

History museum- In this museum, you would get some famous artifacts that played an essential role during the earlier periods. Go for it, and you will get to see something which you have never seen before.
Bergen Maritime - As the name suggests, this museum tells you the responsibilities of the Navy during the 19th century. Visit here, and you will see the structures of ships and cruisers, which were front liners during those days.

Bergen Maritime

Eat

While traveling to different cities, food is one of the important aspects to understand culture. From 5 star restaurants to street foods, you will be able to find a lot of special foods in this city that will give you a very good experience of eating food. Being a coastal city, it offers a lot of seafood, fishes, and other exotic foods.

Make sure to try most of these foods in the city to improve the overall experience. Visiting the nightlife will help you try a wide range of dishes both local and international. Here are some of the different food sections that are given below in detail. It will help you to know what are the places that you need to visit on your trip to the city.

Traditional Local Restaurants

Traditional dishes are the first thing that you need to try in a foreign location. It helps you to know the traditional food culture of the local people up close. The aroma of the local spices and unbelievable taste makes them special. Bergen is filled with traditional restaurants and you will be able to find many of them throughout the city. They are known around the area for separate special dishes. Here are some of the popular restaurants in the city that are very well known for serving traditional dishes to the customers.

Enhjoringen - This is one of the best places if you want to have the true taste of seafood. Make sure to try all the Norwegian dishes from the menu and some other special items offered by the restaurant
Bastant Suppebar - This restaurant is famous for offering traditional soups and a very good ambiance for the customers. You will need to visit the place early to get a seat as it gets filled very fast because of having low space

Vegetarian and Vegan

You will come across many vegetarian travelers in the city. If you are one of them, then do not worry about missing the traditional foods. Like most of the cities and cultures, there are plenty of Norwegian vegetable dishes that you can get in the city. Apart from traditional veg dishes, the restaurants also offer other delicacies that are completely free of meat or any other non-veg ingredients. Here are some of the most common veg dishes that you can try in this city at an affordable price.

Daily Pot - This is known to be one of the best veg places for the tourists and locals in Bergen. You will be able to get a wide range of vegan soups that provide a traditional taste
Dwell - It is a new hotel restaurant compared to all the other ones in the city. However, the different vegan dishes on the menu along with the live music and good ambiance of this place has made it famous

Street Food

You cannot simply miss out on the fun of having street food in Bergen. Being a coastal city, Bergen offers a wide range of street food dishes to travelers. Eating some of the street foods will help you to get the taste of local spices and ingredients. In different corners of the city, you will find a lot of street food stalls that will help you to get some of the famous street foods. Eating from the local small food stores will also help them very much as they are dependent on tourism. Here are some of the best street food restaurants that you can visit to have the best street food experience.

Enhjorningen
Spisekroken

Drink

Wherever you are in the world, drinks are very necessary to stay refreshed and energetic all day long. It helps to explore the city well without getting tired and cover all the areas within the allocated time limit. On your trip to Bergen, you will get many drinks from local beers to soft drinks. In fact, Bergen is very well known for having vibrant nightlife and plenty of tourists. So, you can expect a lot of different available drinks in the city that offers the best refreshment. You can also visit the nightclubs and pubs if you like to have a lot of drinks and enjoy the moment on the beaches.

Tap-water

If you are worried about the tap water in the city, then it is completely safe and drinkable. The tap water of this city is free from all the pollution, and you will be able to drink it without any health problems. The locals also drink it without any problem and use it for many other things such as washing the face, brushing teeth, etc.

However, you can boil the water very well and filter it before using it. It will help you a lot to ensure that the tap water is safe. You can also take the help of package water that is available at the local shops at a reasonable price.

Organic Cafés

Are you health conscious? Well, you will not be disappointed in this city as plenty of cafes are available in the city that provides different organic dishes to the customers. Some of these organic foods are as good as the other ones. The price of these foods is not that expensive, but you will need to know where these organic restaurants are located. Here are some of the organic restaurants in the city that you need to visit to have the best dishes.

Hanne Pa Hoyden - One of the most popular restaurants that serve exclusive organic ingredients and produce to make dishes. You will get all your energy back and get the real taste of the city's food
Cafe Matisse - Another place that offers all the different types of foods, including organic food on the menu. The place is quite big and surrounded by greens that help you to get fresh air

Breweries

As a traveler, you need to sip on the different local and international drinks that are available in the city. Being a coastal city, you can also get a lot of parties and good nightlife near the beaches. A wide range of brews is available to customers that are made in the city and come at a low price.

From Alementary Brewing to Brix City Brewing, there are plenty of brewing companies that you can visit to witness the making process, taste it, and others. Some of the breweries offer tasting for free, and others take some money.

Activities

Being one of the popular coastal cities and travel locations in the city, you will find a lot of activities to perform in this city. There are plenty of places that you can visit to have the best experience of doing activities. From the old and colorful village in the city to the mountains, make sure to visit all the places for the best experience of visiting the city.

Also, if you like to have an adrenaline rush, then you can take part in outdoor activities as well, such as rock climbing, hiking, trekking, snorkeling, and others. Options like yoga or gym are also open for the local people and travelers to stay far from the city crowd and take care of their health.

Yoga and Retreats

As mentioned, yoga might be the best way to stay fit in a foreign location and stay away from all the hustle-bustle of the city. Not only will it help you to get refreshed, but it also helps to get your energy back. Many local people are very careful about their health and try to use yogas. It helps them to take care of their mental and physical health.

So, you will come across many yoga and retreats on your way to the different locations in this city. However, it is best to book the table over online services to ensure your seat in the classes and sessions. It will help you a lot to travel without any worries of getting a spot.

Accommodation

For every traveler out there, accommodation is a very important part. While most of the tourists stay out of the hotel to cover the area, they spend their night under a shelter. So, having good accommodation is very important to get a good night's sleep. As the city is very popular among tourists, you will be able to have plenty of options available for travelers to choose from.

Depending on the time, budget, and benefits, you can choose different accommodation options. Some of them are available at very cheap prices that you can use and save a lot of money. Others are expensive but offer a very glamorous stay. Here are some of the options that most travelers choose.

Green Hotels

If you want to keep the city safe and reduce pollution, then you can choose green hotels. They offer all the different features of hotels along with eco-friendly measures that help the city. From windows to usable water, all of the things are green and recycled. There are many green hotels available in the city for travelers, and you can get some of them near the beach as well. Getting them near the beach will help you a lot to get a nice scenic view of the sea. Here are some of the green hotels that you can visit to get the best experience of traveling.

Fletcher Hotel Marijke
Scandic Ornan

Hostels and Guest Houses

Hostels and guesthouses are other popular options to stay in Bergen. Many people have much more time to stay in the city, and they like to explore all corners. For these people, staying a lot of time in hotels can be very expensive. Instead, they can take the help of hostels or guesthouses that provide almost the same benefits at a low price. Yes, some of the benefits are missing, but the basic ones are there. You can also share a room with other people, which helps to save a lot of money. You can take the help of online services to book them, but here are some of the best ones.

Marken Guesthouse
Bergen Hostel Montana

Apartments

Renting apartments is the cheapest way to get a room in the city. You will not get all the available benefits of hostels and others. But you will be able to save a lot of money and get a cozy room. One of the best things about staying in the apartments is that you will be surrounded by the local people, which will help you to observe them up close.

It will help you a lot to know the lifestyle and local people every day about their culture. You can book an apartment online at low prices to avoid any type of last time hassle. However, here are some of the places that offer the best stay at a reasonable price.

Mainou’s Studio Apartments
Damsgard Apartments

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a way of accommodation that is available for travelers. It is mainly a group of travelers that help other travelers to stay at their home when visiting their home city. It helps travelers to get a place to stay. Not only a shelter, but most of the hosts offer travelers food, and other information about the place.

On the other hand, you will be able to know the lifestyle of local people from the host family. Staying with a local person will help you to know a lot of information very easily like the best place to eat, popular attractions, and others. You can take the help of online services to find the hosts easily.

Camping

There are many tourists out there who like to spend their night under the open sky and camp at different places in the city. Camping is a completely different experience that helps you to get a very good adventure. From parks to the lake, you will be able to get some of the camping places that are low cost and offer a lot of benefits for the travelers. You can take help of them to get a very good stay in the city and enjoy nature. Here are some of the places that you need to visit in Bergen for the best camping experience. You can book them online or visit them to book your camp.

Grimen Motel& Camping
Lone Camping AS
Bergen Camping Park

How to Get There

If you are planning to visit the city, then you need to prepare for the journey first. You need to know what are the different options available that you can take to visit the city. If you are traveling from different countries, then you need to look out for options to travel by air. Flights are the most common way of travel for travelers from different countries as it is well connected to the city directly. You can choose other ways to travel, but you will need to break your journey and take the help of different transportations to reach the city. However, the availability of transportation completely depends on your source location. Here are some of the most common chosen ways of traveling to Bergen.

Air

Needless to say, most of the travelers choose a flight to reach the city as they are the fastest way to travel and connected to most of the cities. It has some disadvantages as well, such as the fare is very high compared to most of the other transportations, and you will miss out on all the views on the road that are available in other ones.

If you want to get the tickets at a low price, then make sure to purchase them a long time before the trip date. Local and international flights are very well connected to the nearby airport of the city, which is named Flesand. This airport is known to be the second busiest airport among all the other ones in Norway.

Bergen Airport

Bus

Want to cut the budget a bit? Take the help of buses to travel to the city at a very low price. Buses are the cheapest way of transportation that offers a very good journey but takes a lot of time to reach the city, compared to flight. You will get a bus from almost all the cities in Norway, but when it comes to other countries, you will need to take a break journey. You will need to take a bus after entering Norway from other countries. Taking the bus to reach the city will help you to enjoy all the scenic beauty and views along the way. Make sure to see the timings of buses before entering the country.

Bergen bus

Train

From most of the cities, you will be able to get a train that will help you to reach the Bergen Railway Station. Compared to the flight, you will need far more time to reach the city. However, it helps to reach the city faster than buses. You do not have to wait in the traffic, which helps to reach faster to the destination.

If you are traveling from other countries, then you will need to check if there are any trains available that are connected to Norway. Otherwise, you will need to enter Norway and take the help of trains to enjoy the experience of traveling and enjoy the beautiful views on the way.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is a way of traveling that is getting more and more popular around the world. It is a very healthy adventure that offers a good time even before visiting the destination. Another very good thing about Couchsurfing is that you do not have to spend much money. You will be able to travel to your destination with the help of local people and others.

All you have to do is take the lift from cars going the same direction and reach the city. As the roads are well connected with this city, you will be able to reach this city without any problem. Make sure to carry all the necessities and a map with you for staying safe.

Others

Other options are available as well to you like taking the road and reaching the city on a car or motorcycle. It might not be the most chosen or preferred way of traveling for travelers, but there are people who like to do a road adventure on their way to the city. Yes, it will take a lot of time to reach the city, but you will get a very good road journey experience.

You can also choose a ferry or cruise to visit the city from some of the places in Norway. It gives a completely different experience of traveling to the city from all the others. But keep in mind to carry all the emergency things with you to travel safely to your destination.

Moving Around

Exploration is one of the main things that you need to keep in mind while visiting the city. It helps to get the best experience of the city and know the culture. There are plenty of transportations available in the city that you can choose to get around the place and start your exploration. You need to choose one based on how much time you are staying in the city.

You can choose to walk around the city to get a very good exploration experience but will take a lot of time to cover all the places. On the other hand, you can choose fast transportation modes that can help you to reach very fast to your destination but miss out on all the little things on your way. Here are some of the different modes of transportation and details about them given below.

Walk

Walking is one of the most trusted ways of traveling the city as it helps to explore every corner of the city very well. You will be able to enter all the alleyways and shortcuts of the city to witness the daily life of local people. From buildings to markets, exploring every bit of the city will help you to get a very good experience.

However, you need to keep in mind that walking will take a lot of time to cover all the famous attractions of the city. If you have enough time to travel to the city, then you can walk and enjoy all of the places in the city. Make sure to carry some of the things that will help you to stay safe on your journeys such as water, glasses, and an umbrella.

Bicycle

Bicycles are a nice way of exploring the city and staying healthy during your travel. You will be able to reach your destination much faster compared to walking. As there are many separate ways for cyclists, you do not have to wait in the traffic. You might not be able to enter all the places in the city because some of them are only open to tourists.

However, you will have a good exploring experience and get to cover most of the places in a short time. You can rent a bicycle from different services that are available in the city or get it from your staying place. Many hotels and other accommodations offer cycles on rent for free or at a low price for the customers.

Electronic Vehicles

As an eco-friendly traveler, you will need to choose a green way of traveling that both helps the environment and provide benefits. You can choose electronic vehicles instead of the fueled cars that create a lot of pollution. They provide the same benefits as the other type of cars and help you to reach the destination very fast.

If you are planning to stay in the city for a short time, then taking the cars will help you a lot to get to the attractions faster. However, sometimes taking cars can make you late to reach the destination as you will need to wait a lot in the traffic, and others.

Public Bus

The best way to know a lot about the city and culture is by taking a bus. It is the cheapest way to travel in the city that comes with the advantage of observing daily life up close. There are many available buses that you can get in the city to travel to. Waiting at the bus stops and terminals will help you a lot to get buses very frequently.

Make sure to have some time on your hand before starting the journey, as you will get traffic here as well. It is best to know all the different timings of the buses to get them easily without wasting much time. From VIP to local buses, you will be able to get all of the different ones that are filled with local people.

Tram, Train and Subway

Trains are considered to be the next best thing to travel through the city and explore different corners. The best thing about traveling on a train is that you will not have to worry about being late to reach as there are no traffics. The fare of trains is low and comes with different features that help to get a very good experience of exploring.

As the trains are well connected to different areas of the city, you will be able to get connected very easily. When it comes to trams, you will not be able to find any in this city. Although there are many subways available in the city, they are not very well connected to different parts of the city.

Sustainable Shopping

Keeping the environment of a city safe is one of the responsibilities for you as an eco-friendly traveler. One of the best ways to keep the waste of the city low and help it is by choosing sustainable shopping. Everyone loves to shop for different items from their travel destination. But when you can both shop and help the city, it gets more exciting.

Yes, you can choose different second-hand shops, flea markets, and many other recyclable shops to buy goods. From clothes to vintage items, you will be able to add some of the rarest items in your collection. Here are some of the different sections of sustainable shopping that will help you to know more in detail.

Food Markets

Food markets are one of the first places that you need to visit this city. You will witness a wide range of food items in the market as the city is very well known for having seafood and special ingredients. If you are a food lover, then you will be surprised after exploring these markets.

Not only raw foods, but you will also find many food stalls that are scattered throughout these markets. You can take a rest in these stalls during your exploration and try the foods to get refreshed. Here are some of the places that you need to visit on your trip to Bergen.

Fish Market in Bergen
Asian Food Market

Flea Markets

Flea markets are always the best place in a city if you are looking to get some antique and vintage items. This city offers a lot of flea markets to travelers and locals that provide a lot of goods at low prices. Most of the things are very old and rare that makes them a great addition to your collection. However, make sure to bargain well for the goods to get a discount on the price.

Second Hand Stores

Second-hand stores are getting popular worldwide, and Bergen is one of the cities that are taking part in it. Not only travelers but local people in the city are also adopting and trying second-hand goods. Trying the second-hand items helps the city to stay clean and reduce waste production. You will help the city a lot to stay clean and get high-quality recycled goods at a low price.

Eco-Fashion

Eco-fashion is a way to look stylish and cool while keeping both the environment and health safe. As most of the eco fashions are made using different natural ingredients, you will not have to worry about any chemicals harming your skin. Also, it helps to make the fashion total eco-friendly and green to keep the city safe.

You will find many eco-fashion shops in the city that offer clothes and accessories at a very reasonable price. In some cases, the price can increase compared to normal ones, but it is a price to pay for the safety of the city and your health.

Recycling

Recycling is the one and only way to keep the city safe from all the waste. Being a very popular travel destination, the officials of this city have already taken many initiatives. All of them are accepted and properly maintained by the local people to keep their city safe. You will find many other private companies in the city as well who are taking part in these recycling processes. Make sure to keep the city safe during your tour and place all the wastes in bins.

Waste

The produced waste of the city has started to get reduced in the last few years. All the initiatives of the government have started to work very well. From locals to travelers, you will be able to see a lot of bins around the city that are allocated to separate the recyclable and non-recyclable waste of the city. During your tour to the city, you can contribute to making the environment clean from pollution by playing your part.

Work and Study Abroad

Working and studying opportunities are very good in Bergen. You will come across many travelers or foreign workers who are looking for a job or currently in one. Benefits like exchange students help the student to take their favorite course in a foreign country. Here are some of the most popular and chosen benefits are given below for more information.

Exchange Student

The exchange student is a method that helps the students of other countries to continue their study in a foreign country with minimum money. You will be able to get an exchange student service very easily after getting selected by the college. All you need to do is provide the college fee to study in the foreign countries that have a partnership with your home university.

Au Pair

Au Pair is one of the most common things that you can choose after getting in the city. It helps the foreign students and workers to get shelter, food along with some pocket money in the city. You will need to take care of the house or the elder people to get the money and other benefits. You can take the help of online services to easily get an Au Pair host.

Volunteering

Volunteering is the best option to take care of the city and know the local people very well. Some of the volunteering options that are most popular include keeping the historical places safe, beaches safe, and teaching English to local people.